Death Of The Incredible Hulk-An Alternative Story
by Sharona1981
Summary: My own take on how 'Death Of The Incredible Hulk' should have gone. Better summary inside. Features my OC, Isabelle 'Izzy' Johnson. ON HIATUS.
1. Chapter 1

**Death Of The Incredible Hulk-An Alternative Story **

_I wanted a happy ending for David, so I'm going to try and write one. Features an OC, Isabelle 'Izzy' Johnson. I only own her-all else is the property of Kenneth Johnson/Stan Lee/Marvel, etc. Contains flashbacks. _

D**edicated to the memory of Bill Bixby (1934-1993), who, as far as I'm concerned, will always be Dr. Banner, just as Lou Ferrigno will always be The Hulk. **

**/**

**Prologue**:

_August 10, 1979-Bergen County, New Jersey _

It was eleven-year-old Isabelle, happily ensconced in the backseat of her uncle's pickup, who saw the man hitch-hiking on the highway, a small backpack slung on his shoulder.

'Uncle Bobby!' She cried. 'There's a man trying to hitch a ride back there.'

Her uncle made a dismissive, disapproving sound. 'Izzy.' He chided her gently. 'You know how dangerous it is to pick up hitch-hikers.'

'But he looked nice.' Came the childish protest, and Bobby actually chuckled this time.

'Sweetheart, just because someone _looks_ nice, doesn't mean they _are_.' He retorted, then sighed inwardly as Izzy sat back against the leather seat, a sad expression on her face.

He knew his niece was gentle, sensitive-_over_sensitive, even-and kind, even in spite of the Hell she'd been through.

She'd lost her parents in a car accident aged only eight, and he, Bobby Johnson, widowed since he was forty and childless, had taken in his late brother's orphaned daughter without even a second thought. Truthfully, Izzy, as he'd affectionately nicknamed her, was no trouble-except he'd never realized just how..._gifted _the young girl was.

When she'd attended school, teachers had declared her a prodigy, but kids had bullied her relentlessly, calling her a 'know-all' and 'Little Miss Smarty Pants', apparently. IQ tests had revealed that Izzy's intelligence levels were average, but once the girl had been entrusted to Bobby's care, he'd pulled her out of school, even though her parents had been adamant that she continue to attend, and decided to have her home-schooled. Subsequently, the girl had flourished.

However, when she continued to show an amazing capacity for memorization, Bobby made the decision to take her to a neurological specialist, and was shocked when he was eventually told that his niece possessed what was known as an eidetic memory. Basically, it meant that Izzy was able to memorize everything, from books, to directions, to smells and sounds, by experiencing them only once.

More incredibly still, she was able to _retain_ every memory.

And yet, through all that, she remained sweet, and uncomplaining. No wonder Bobby loved her so much.

Even now, when she was subtly sulking in the backseat, just because he wouldn't pick up a damn hitch-hiker.

And then, giant drops hit his windshield, and as the rain began to fall, Bobby fetched another sigh and glanced in his rearview mirror. He could still see the guy Izzy was obviously talking about in the near distance, and he, a tad grudgingly, looked for a spot to turn.

The guy was going to get _soaked _if he left him there.

'I hope you're right about him being nice.' He all but growled at Izzy, who immediately brightened.

David Banner slowly lowered his head as the first drop of rain hit him, and he pulled up the collar of his coat, resigned to being stuck in a downpour. Then he saw the cherry-red pickup-it looked like a Chevy, but he wasn't exactly an automobile expert-turn around and pull up alongside him, and he relaxed slightly when the window rolled down, and a weather beaten, amiable-looking face poked out.

'Where ya headed?' He enquired, and David stepped forward, offering him his most friendly smile. 'Oh, uh, just to the next town.' He replied. 'I was hoping to find a job.'

'Well, you're in luck, somewhat.' The man replied. 'Nearest place from here is Ridgewood, which is exactly where we're headed, since it's where we live. But it's not exactly a town, more like a village-still, you might be lucky enough to find something there. Hop in, if you want.'

Grateful to be getting out of the rain, at least, David climbed into the front passenger seat, noticing, for the first time, the young girl in the back, and realized what the man had meant by '_we_'. She beamed at him, emerald-green eyes twinkling, and David found himself helplessly grinning back.

'Bobby Johnson' The man introduced himself, and David shook the hand that was outstretched to him.

'David..._Burns_.' He replied, after just a moment's hesitation. If Bobby noticed the pause, he didn't say anything.

'Pleasure, David.' He said, then, waving his hand to the girl behind him, he added, 'The pocket-sized terror in the back is my niece, Isabelle. You can thank her for getting the ride-I was a little wary about picking up a stranger, to be honest-especially with a child to look out for-but Izzy said you looked nice. I hope she's right.'

David turned again to the smiling girl in gratitude, and held out his hand, which she shyly shook, as Bobby finally maneuvered the pickup back onto the road.

'Well, thank you very much, Isabelle.' He said gently. 'And you don't have to worry, either of you-I promise, I'm nice as can be.'

_Just as long as I don't get angry, he thought grimly... _

_/_

**This is basically an introduction to Izzy-next chapter will go right to 1990, and the plot from 'Death'. This is my first Hulk effort so be nice, lol. Please R&R! :) Ellen.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

_**I haven't seen 'Death...' in years, so a lot of this story is my own interpretation of events. Michael Pratt is also my OC. **_

/

_November 3rd, 1990-Portland, Oregon _

She no longer went by the name Isabelle-almost everybody now called her Izzy. Izzy Johnson was no longer that scared, sensitive little girl.

Well, okay, she was still little, having reached the momentous height of five feet at seventeen and then stayed there.

But she was different now, stronger.

She'd moved around a lot after graduating high school. Her beloved Uncle Bobby had wanted her to go to college, but she'd wanted to see the world.

She'd got as far as Portland-which was where she'd met Michael Pratt. A science student, whose father was a renowned geneticist, she'd met him in a restaurant where she'd been waiting tables, and he'd asked her out for coffee.

They'd been a couple for two years, living together for six months-she loved Michael so much.

Funny thing was, they were opposites in one crucial way. Michael was a sweetheart, but was incredibly absent-minded. He forgot birthdays, anniversaries-Izzy often joked that he'd forget his own name, were she not there to remind him.

While Izzy herself...well, she couldn't _forget_ anything, whether she wanted to or not.

Michael's father, Ronald, ran his own government-funded research facility in the city, was well-known for his extensive work on genetics and humans' capacity for healing-and was pretty much the only person who still called her 'Isabelle' and got away with it.

All that science stuff went right over Izzy's head, though-she could memorize entire texts or formulas while watching her boyfriend or his father at work, but she could make no sense of any of it.

Bobby was still alive, still living in New Jersey, and she visited him sometimes. She owed him so much.

Quite frequently, considering all that had happened that fateful week in August of 1979, Izzy found herself thinking of that mysterious hitch-hiker they'd picked up.

David Burns.

The man who had saved her life.

The man who, as it turned out, wasn't _really_ a man at all.

Not _all _the time, anyway...

/

On the short journey, Izzy's attention was exclusively taken up by the kind-looking stranger sitting in the front passenger seat.

Somehow, she sensed that he was kind of like her-_different_.

'I get the feeling you're not from around here.' Bobby said cheerfully, and David paused before replying hesitantly, '_Uh_...not really, no. I tend to move around a lot. I'm just hoping to find a job. Something temporary.'

'Well, I might be able to help.' Bobby said. 'You got somewhere to stay?' When David responded in the negative, he added, 'I'll see what I can do for you there, too.'

David thanked him, then turned back to Izzy. Gesturing to the textbooks he saw in her lap, he said, 'So, Isabelle, finished school for the day, huh?'

Izzy, not one for lying, not even to strangers, shook her said, and said, 'Uh-huh. I'm home schooled. There's something wrong with my brain.'

David started at this, obviously surprised, but Bobby rebuked her, 'Izzy, honey, there's nothing _wrong_ with your brain.' Turning to David, who was trying not to look curious, he added, almost reluctantly, 'She used to get bullied, you see-kids thought she was some sort of genius. Teachers, too. But Izzy has what's known as an eidetic memory. If you know what that means.'

'Yes, yes, I do.' David responded, and to Izzy he said kindly, smiling, 'You have an amazing gift, in that case.'

Izzy felt the sting of tears, and just shrugged, looking away so he couldn't see.

A _gift_? He had to be kidding...

/

Izzy sighed. She could see now that there were worse things than being able to memorize everything, when she'd seen what David Burns really was.

What he'd _become_...

**NEXT: The Hulk appears in Portland-and Izzy is reunited with an old friend. Please R&R! Ellen.**


End file.
